ACA

The deadline to enroll for coverage through the state’s health insurance plan was Sunday. New Yorkers who started applications before the cutoff still have until the end of the month to finish them.

But state health officials are also considering adding a special enrollment period for people who have not yet filed their 2014 tax return. Consumer advocacy groups are asking for just that as many Americans file returns and see that they may owe money on their federal taxes.

The Syracuse.com/Post-Standard/Siena College poll shows 17 percent of potential voters surveyed say health care is the most important issue to them. In recent interviews, the two candidates in the 24th Congressional District race say there are good things and bad things about it.

Democrat two-term Rep. Dan Maffei voted for the Affordable Care Act back in 2010, and he says he still supports the reforms that came with it. But he admits there are problems.

There are less than two months left for people to sign on to a health insurance plan and avoid tax penalties for not having insurance in 2014.

Steve Wood, community health coordinator of the ACR Health Syracuse office, said they are continuing outreach in nine counties in central New York, encouraging people to get help from specially trained navigators who can help with the process.

The Supreme Court's decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act was the subject of a symposium in Buffalo Friday. Panelists agreed the high court's ruling does not guarantee the law's future.

During oral arguments in front of the Supreme Court, attorneys spent just 50 words on whether or not the health care law is a tax. That ended up being the crux of Justice John Roberts opinion to uphold the law.

New York’s politicians and major health care providers are largely applauding the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold President Barack Obama’s health care law. Meanwhile, an Albany Law School expert says Chief Justice John Roberts may have been concerned about his legacy, and that was a factor in his decision.